Electric switch.



D. E LEE.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLIGATION rum) 0012s, 1908.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

Q am uzwto'o Eltfmw DELMA E. LEE, F PONTIAC, WASHINGTON.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

Application filed October 6, 1908. Serial No. 456,367.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DELMA E. LEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pontiac, in the county of King and State of ashi ington, have invented a new and useful Electric Switch, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to that class of wall or desk switches, in which one actuating device is employed for closing the circuit and another for opening the same, though there are features that may be advantageously employed in other structures of a somewhat analogous nature.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of novel and exceedingly simple means for opening and closing electrical circuits, said means being very compact so that the switch, as a whole, will occupy but comparatively little space, the structure thereof being readily accessible without the necessity of detaching the wires or other electrical connections and having means for preventing the formation of arcs.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings on a considerably enlarged scale in order to clearly disclose the same.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a sectional view through the casing showing the switch mechanism in elevation. Fig. 2 is a similar section, illustrating the switch mechanism also in section. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In the embodiment illustrated, a suitable boxing or casing 4 is employed that is preferably constructed of porcelain or other suitable insulating material. This casing is covered by a cap or closure 5. A supporting frame is carried by the cap and comprises a longitudinal bar 6 arranged behind the same and connected thereto by spaced links 7. A pair of electrical conductors 8 arranged within the casing or boxing are provided at their outer ends with binding screws 9 to which the wires are connected, and said conductors terminate at their inner ends in spaced contact elements 10.

A push button 11, slidably mounted in the cover or closure plate is provided with an inwardly extending stem 12, to which is secured a circuit closer in the form of a connecting device 13 that is slidably mounted in the bar 6, and is movable into and out of engagement with the contact elements 10. A spring 14, coiled upon the stem 12, serves to normally hold the push button 11 in its outermost position, with the connecting device 13 out of engagement with the elements 10. Normally interposed between said contact elements and the connecting device 13 is an arc-preventing device, in the form of separable convergently disposed leaves 15 preferably formed of a strip that is doubled about the bar 6. The connecting portion between the leaves 15 is provided with an aperture through which the stem 12 extends, whereby the said stem constitutes means for preventing longitudinal movement of the arc extinguisher along the support 6. These leaves, as will be evident by reference to Fig. 3, will be separated by the connecting device 13 when it moves into engagement with the contact elements, but said leaves have sufficient resiliency to cause them to come together when the device 13 is retracted by the spring 14.

In order to hold the device 13 in engagement with the contact elements 10, a reciprocatory latch 16 is employed that is slidably mounted on the rear or under side of the bar 6, being held thereto by headed screws 17 that pass through slots 18 in the bar, the screws being threaded into the latch. This latch is provided with a slot 19, through which the device 13 passes, and said device has a shoulder 20 behind which the latch 16 engages when the push button is pressed inwardly. A coiled spring 21, having a terminal engagement in the bar 6, has a bearing against an outstanding lug 23 carried by the latch 16, and thus said latch is urged toward the device or push button. Another push button 24 is slidably mounted in the face plate 5, and has a stem 25 that passes through the inner frame bar 6 and through a slot 26 in the latch 16. A spring 27 normally holds the push button 24 in its outermost position, and the stem 25 of said push button has on its rear side a rounded projection 28 arranged to bear against an end wall of the slot 26 when the latch 16 is behind the shoulder 20.

The operation of the structure is substantially as follows. Under normal conditions, the parts are as shown in Fig. 3, in which case, the circuit through the conductors 8 is open. If now the push button 11 is pressed inwardly it will be evident that the device 13 will separate the leaves 15 and engage the contact elements 10, thus closing the circuit. .Vhen so arranged, the latch 16 will engage behind the shoulder 20, thus maintaining said engagement. When it is desired to open the circuit, the push button 2% is pressed, whereupon the lug 2S riding against the end of the slot 26, will cause the latch 16 to be moved rearwardly from the shoulder 20, thus releasing the push button 11, which will immediately be moved outwardly by the spring 1%. It will be evident that this structure is very simple, and can be made very compact so that it can be readily placed in a wall, partition or in the wall or top of a desk, table or other article of turniture. In the opening of the circuit, arcs are prevented by the leaves 15, which swing between the contact elements and the connecting device 13. Moreover this structure clearly indicates whether the circuitis opened or closed, for when open, both push buttons are projecting the same distance, and when closed the push button 11 is locked in its inner position.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation and many advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construction, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a switch, the combination with a pair of spaced plates having openings opposite each other, a push button slidably mounted in one of the openings, a stem on the push button slidably engaging in the other opening, a cam carried by the stem, a spring for holding the push button in normal position, a latch slidably mounted on one of the plates and having an abutment with which the said cam engages for re leasing the latch, a manually-operated circuit-closing element, means for holding the element in open circuit position, and a spring operating on the latch to automatically engage the latter with the said element 2 closing contact element disposed in the said when moved to closed circuit position.

2. In an electric switch, the combination of a receptacle, a face plate therefor having openings, push buttons disposed in the openings, a plate arranged in the receptacle and secured to the face plate to be removed therewith, spaced contacts within the receptacle, a movable contact connected with one of the push buttons and normally diseir gaged from the spaced contacts, a slidable latch mounted on and carried by the second plate and arranged to engage the movable contact for holding the same in closed circuit position, a spring pressing on the latch, a stem on the other push button, and a cam on the stem arangcd in cooperative relation with the latch for releasing the same by the inward movement of the said stem.

in a switch, the combination of a pair of spaced plates having alined openings, a push button in one of the openings, a stem connected with the push button and slidable longitudinally through the other opening, a cam on the stem, a latch slidably mounted on one of the plates and extending transversely to the said stem, said latch having an abutment with which the cam is adapted to engage, a spring acting on the latch to hold the same in locking position, and a circuit closing element manually operated to closed circuit position and automatically locked by the said latch.

4;. In a switch, the combination of a pair of spaced plates each having a pair of alined openings, circuit-closing and opening push buttons disposed in the openings of one of the plates, stems on the buttons, the stem of the circuit-opening button being slidably disposed in an opening of the other plate, a circuit-closing element secured to the stem or the circuit-closing button and slid-ably engaged in the second opening of the said plate, springs on the stems for holding the push buttons projected, a latch arranged to enthe said element to hold the same in closed circuit position, and operating connections between the first-mentioned stem and latch for releasing the same to permit the said element to open the circuit.

In a switch, the combination of a support, a movable circuit-closing element mounted thereon, and an arc extinguisher consisting of a single piece of insulating material formed into yielding leaves normally in contact in the line of movement of the said element when the latter is in open circuit position, said leaves being integrally connected and engaged around the said support.

6. In an electric switch, the combination of a plate-like support having an aperture, a latch slidable on the support and having an aperture registering with that of the sup port, means for detachably and slidably mounting the latch on the support, a circuitapertures and having a shoulder with which the latch is adapted to engage, means for actuating the contact, a push button provided with a stem, a cam on the stem, an

abutment on the latch with which the cam engages, and a spring cooperating with the cam for reciprocating the latch.

7. In an electric switch, the combination of a support, a wedge-shaped circuit-closing contact mounted on the support, a pair loo lllfi ll-S lit,

of yielding insulating plates arranged at an inclination to each other in the path of the movement of the contact, and an actuator for the contact serving to hold the plates in operative relation with the contact.

8. In an electric switch, the combination with a supporting frame, of two push buttons slidably mounted therein, springs for holding the push buttons in their outermost positions and arranged to operate independently, a circuit closer actuated by one of the push buttons, a rectilineally movable latch mounted on the frame and movable transversely of the push buttons, a spring for yieldingly holding the latch in locking position, said latch engaging the circuit closer actuating push button to hold the same in an inner position when moved thereto, and a projection carried by the other push button and engaging the latch to more the same to a position to disengage the first mentioned push button.

9. In. an electric switch, the combination of a contact element, of a support, a circuit closer movable into and out of engagement with the contact element, a member carrying the said closer and movably mounted on the support, and an arc-preventing device normally interposed between the circuit closer and contact element and movable out of the path of the former during its movement into engagement with the latter, said device being held in place by the said member.

10. In an electric switch, the combination with a contact element, of a circuit closer movable into and out of engagement therewith, and an arc extinguisher forming a housing for the circuit closer when the lat ter is in open position, said extinguisher comprising separable arc-preventing integrally connected leaves of insulating material normally interposed between the circuit closer and contact elements and movable out of the path of the former during its movement into engagement with the latter.

11. In an electric switch, the combination with a supporting frame, of a push button slidably mounted therein, a pair of spaced contact elements located adjacent to the inner end of the push button, a connecting device carried by the push button and movable into engagement with the contact elements, and a pair of convergently disposed separable leaves mounted on the frame and having their convergent ends normally located between the contact elements and connecting device, said leaves being yielding plates of insulating material normally contacting and separated by the latter upon its movement into engagement with the former.

12. In an electric switch, the combination of a movable contact element, a stem for operating the same, a support through which the stem moves, an arc extinguishing device arranged in cooperative relation with the contactand having an aperture through which the stem passes, a push button on the stem, a spring arranged on the stem between the push button and cooperating with the stem to hold the arc extinguisher in place.

13. In an electric switch, the combination of a contact element, a carrier therefor, and a hollow arc extinguisher housing the contact. element when the latter is in open circuit position and having yielding plates between which the contact element is movable.

l-it. In an electric switch, the combination of a support, a contact element movable to one side of the support, a pair of oppositelydisposed yielding members of insulating material forming an arc extinguisher extending from the same side of the support from which the contact element is movable and arranged with their extremities in con tact at a point in the path of movement of the contact element, and means for securing the members to the support.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto ailixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

DELMA E. LEE.

itnesses HERBERT R. BAR'rHoLoMEw. MIKE CoLLINs. 

